PROSPECTS OF FARMERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1924, Page 8

PROSPECTS OF FARMERS.

BEST SEASON IN HISTORY AUSPICIOUS CONDITIONS. EXPERT OBSERVER’S VIEWEXPORTS MAY BE £60,000,000. “The prospects of the farming industry in the Dominion have never been brighter than they are at present. The position of the farmers in all instances may not be ideal. That is a matter governed greatly by the personal equation and certain other influences and many have come through a trying ordeal during recent years.” The. .position was .put thus last week by Mr. W. D. Stewart, New Zealand superintendent of Messrs Dal'gety and Company, Limited., who was <paying a brief visit to Auckland.

“I have been in New Zealand 34 years and have been intimiately' associated with the primary industries during that period,’’ he said. “The present season has opened more auspiciously for the farmers than any that I can remember. 1 am strongly averse to adopting the role of prophet, and will give no warnings or predictions further than to state that if the. present prices for our primary products continue, the farmers should experience the best season in the history of the Dominion.”

Continuing, Mr. Stewart said he had travelled through the country a good deal of late. The South Island was literally full of feed and the crops were all locking well, promising an abundant-har-vest. What he had seen of the North Island between Wellington and Auckland Lad never looked better. These conditions were reflected in the fact that there was a record production of butter-fat, and that stock of all kinds were in excellent condition. Prices for dairy products had been better this season than for some time and the market was still in favour of the producers. Unless a dry summer was experienced or some unforeseen factor intervened, there should be a record dairy production with correspondingly increased returns for the producers. Wool prices were up to record figures and the clip should be rather larger than that of last season.

Allowing for increased production and enhanced values the Dominion’s exports this season should reach £60,000,000, compared with about £48,446,000 for the year ended June 30 last. The exchange position promised to continue to be rather a serious problem, said Mr. Stewart. If the exports were maintained to the figures indicated he did not think there could l>e any casement.

Replying to a question regarding land values, Mr. Stewart said he could offer no strong opinion. The real value of Jani wa: its earning capacity <u«l people should not be carried away by the results cf an exceptionally go:»*l s x as.m Buyers were not nearly so plentiful as they were a few years ago, but there was bound to l>e a revival in land p-ur-cliases. lie trusted it would be on sound .lines.